Texas Film Awards to honor Paul Thomas Anderson, Armie Hammer

AUSTIN, Texas — Austin Film Society announced that screenwriter and director Paul Thomas Anderson and Armie Hammer will accept two prestigious awards at this year’s Texas Film Awards.

PTA will be awarded the inaugural Jonathan Demme Award of the Texas Film Hall of Fame.

Demme was a longtime Austin Film Society Advisory board member, and the "patron saint of Texas film," according to AFS.

He is best known for iconic films including "Silence of the Lambs" and "Philadelphia," and died last year, at age 73, due to complications from esophageal cancer.

AFS worked with Demme’s family to select Anderson for the inaugural award for his work, “There Will Be Blood,” filmed in Marfa, Texas.

Armie Hammer will receive Variety’s “One to Acclaim” Award. It honors actors and filmmakers who have achieved excellence early in their careers. He lives in the San Antonio area with wife, Elizabeth Chambers, owner of Bird Bakery.

Hammer’s acclaim comes from his latest work, “Call Me By Your Name,” which has been nominated for four Oscars. His next debut will be in “Final Portrait,” directed by Stanley Tucci, opening March 23, 2018. The film will premiere at SXSW.

This year’s Texas Film Awards is March 8 and will take place at the new AFS Cinema, which opened in May 2017.

“These two honorees are incredible examples of the versatile talent within the Texas film community, and we’re thrilled to honor them. By holding the Texas Film Awards--a celebration of the perennial impact of film--at the AFS Cinema, we’re able to honor filmmakers and actors like Anderson and Hammer in a sanctuary dedicated to their art and give guests a tangible understanding of the power of cinema and media arts,” Austin Film Society’s CEO Rebecca Campbell said.

Campbell continued, “This year’s honorees are two creative powerhouses. We are excited to commemorate the remarkable work of Paul Thomas Anderson, who continues to make stunning films such as the Oscar-nominated “Phantom Thread.” His involvement is especially poignant as we honor the legacy of Jonathan Demme, a close collaborator and mentor.”

Campbell continues, “Armie Hammer’s impressive performances, including in “Call Me By Your Name” and “The Social Network,” exemplify the Variety’s “One to Acclaim” Award and its goal: to recognize accomplished Texas talent that are poised for great career leaps.”